The more news comes out about “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald”, the more disappointing this movie looks.

The one ray of sunshine in the midst of this whole mess is Jude Law, who is perfectly cast as a young Albus Dumbledore, on a mission to try and put a stop to a dark wizard who was also his first romantic lover.

Alas, though, it seems that we’re not getting the spicy romance element that makes the Dumbledore/Grindelwald connection so alluring. According to director David Yates, who must surely take some sick pleasure from enraging fans, this movie is going to be as awkwardly straight as possible.

According to Yates, the movie will “not explicitly” mention the romance that the pair of wizards had when they were younger, but fans are allowed to read into it whatever they choose:

“I think all the fans are aware of that. He had a very intense relationship with Grindelwald when they were young men. They fell in love with each other’s ideas, and ideology and each other.”

It’s clear that Yates understands that this doomed romance is appealing from a thematic, character, and narrative perspective. He definitely understands the potential fun in making more overt references to the duo’s complex feelings for one another.

So why are we not getting that movie?!

Source: Warner Bros

Why even bother to make a film about Young Dumbledore if you’re not going to explore his tragic lovelife? This is the most interesting facet of the character, and everyone at Warner Bros is apparently eager to sweep it under the carpet.

Of course, we all know the true reason why Yates is eager to keep Dumblewald (or should they be Grindeldore?) in subtext. Movies with overtly gay characters inevitably receive hatred from traditionalists who can’t dream of the horror of being forced to empathize with a character who has a different sexuality.

That said, this is the “Harry Potter” universe. Plenty of parents groups already hate this franchise for its cool, glamorous portrayal of witchcraft, so why anyone involved is now trying to curry favor with these groups is inexplicable at best.

Source: Warner Bros

This news hurts. For many Potterheads who are already unsure about the inclusion of Johnny Depp in this movie and the bizarre decision to steer away from any of the titular fantastic beasts, this movie is looking less and less appealing.

Are we perhaps finally in a place where a “Harry Potter” movie is going to flop? Probably not. It won’t be too big of a surprise, though, if this movie ends up being less popular than any that have come before – and that includes the movie that was just two hours of Harry and Ron arguing in a tent.